By Luke Abbott
This issue moves away from Batman, Bard and ex-Commissioner Gordon and picks up a new strand of story. This time, we focus on the Red Robin, taking the investigation back to the first issue. While Batman and Batgirl take on Falcone and try to solve what happened to Gordon, Red Robin is focused on the children that were abducted by Professor Pyg. Turns out they were not infected by Pyg’s serum, but something else. Red Robin decides to head off on his own to get to the bottom of that riddle. In the meantime, Vicki Vale takes an intern and tries to find out what Falcone is up to. However, that gets her into trouble with some of the goons in the Narrows. Throw the Bluebird into the mix and the three sections of stories end up colliding in an explosive way.
I was a little apprehensive, as soon as I realized that we were going to be having a Batman-lite installment of Eternal. I came here for Batman and I want the god damn Batman. However, on the other hand, while I have been hooked on the mystery, I have to admit the series had been dragging its feet. A change of pace is just what the story needed. It helps that this additional strand of story has really upped the ante. Up until now, it was just another case of ‘gang war’ and who is behind it all? Now, we are introduced with a new element to the mystery, which throws in some more colourful ideas into the pot. As Red Robin says at one point, this is “more advanced than anything Pyg is capable of”. My interest has been well and truly piqued once more. Also, it was nice to have Vicki Vale added to the story. She is a character that often gets lost in the canon, but here, she makes up for lost time, especially in the final frame, where she shows the reader how a civilian woman stands up alongside all of these vigilantes. Bluebird was also a welcomed addition to the story, as I know very little about the character, but she bursts onto the pages, grabbing your attention and respect instantly. I look forward to what she gets up to.
Yes, I enjoyed this issue, but there were a few, minor details that confused me. The main one was the Batman’s only scene. Last we checked in, Batman was rushing away to stop Batgirl rashly interrogating a suspect. How does he have time to pop in on Red Robin? Is this a mistake as the writers change hands in between issues? Or maybe the two strands of story are told slightly out of order? Either way that can get confusing fast and needs to be better explained to the reader. The other thing that threw me was how Vicki Vale’s plan of action was to waltz into the Narrows to interview people. I get that Vicki is a headstrong reporter, but there’s a difference between headstrong and stupid. This is what happens when a writer needs to lay Vicki Vale out for the newcomers to Batman, without recovering old ground for old fans of the character, while progressing the story simultaneously. In the space of a few frames. It is tricky, but I think Vale needed to have her scene thought through a little longer. However, like I did say, her character redeems herself in the final page.
I also wasn’t sold on the art style. Sometimes Andy Clarke drew a beautiful portrait of the characters. The goons were very detailed; we could see every crevice and imperfection on their face. Red Robin looked very cool, illuminated by the glow of his holographic detective system. However, other times Clarke dropped the ball completely, mainly during the ‘talking head’ moments. When characters got through exposition, Clarke would draw Vale or Cullen with an expression that looked a little ridiculous. The overall style was good, interesting, and at times, the most beautiful we have seen the art in Eternal yet. However, it was a little inconsistent, which frustrated me at times.
However, that is just me nit-picking. This is a true return to form for Batman Eternal, maybe only being trumped by the very first instalment of the series. Batman Eternal isn’t quite at the quality I want it to be just yet, but as far as comic books go, this is a good investment.
Quote of the Month:
(when intern Joey Day meets the Red Robin)
Day: I have a picture of you on my wall.
Red Robin: Uh. Thanks?
For more comic views and reviews follow Luke on Twitter at @LukeBbtt and check out his website at www.oracleoffilm.com
Posted on May 10th, 2014
Category: ORACLE OF COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: Batman Eternal #5 Review, Bruce Wayne, Comic Reviews, DC Comics, James Tynion IV, Jim Gordon, Luke Abbot, Red Robin, Scott Snyder